


Let me tell you a story...

by Epistemophile



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/M, M/M, Non-Graphic Violence, Not Beta Read, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Out of Character, Past Kate Argent/Derek Hale, The Hale Pack - Freeform, other characters to be added later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-10
Updated: 2014-07-01
Packaged: 2018-02-04 03:17:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1763925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Epistemophile/pseuds/Epistemophile
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>King Derek was betrayed by his love, a human woman, and now takes his anger out on the other humans in the land as he deems them untrustworthy. To stop this violence Stiles Stilinski volunteers to be the latest victim along with a plan he hopes will keep the King from killing anymore innocents.</p><p>A Teen Wolf/ Arabian Nights fusion with Stiles as Scheherazade, because if there's one thing Stiles can do it's talk.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Teen wolf is the property of Jeff Davis and Co. I claim no rights to it whatsoever, this is just a fan made tribute. The rights of the Arabian nights have by now fallen into to public property but the credit should be given to Sir Richard Burton who first translated them from arabic. The characters in the work are going to be OOC so if that bothers you, you have been warned. This is purely AU so I have messed with the characters quite a bit, but they should still at their essence be the same. 
> 
> This work is un-betaed so all mistakes are my own
> 
> Enjoy!

Welcome stranger to the land of Beacon, our wild kingdom nestled in the hills. Here we have many wonders and enchantments to amaze you. Your neighbors may be druids or banshees, and let’s not forget the ever plentiful werewolves that rule this land. But even in this sanctuary for fantastical beings, ordinary humans thrive among us. We value our humans for we know all too well that though humans are capable of great evil they can also do great good. In recent history our kingdom was saved by one such human, who at great risk to his own safety rescued us from the harsh temper of a disillusioned King. Oh, you don’t know the tale? Well….

 

The Kingdom of Beacon has been ruled by the Hale family for many generations. The Hales were wise and kind believing in equality for all beings and they tried to teach that all their children. So when the time came for young prince Derek to take over the throne, he inherited a widely diverse court filled with many different species. King Derek was a strong, handsome man, but also a little lonely until one day when he met a lovely young lady named Kate. Kate was the daughter of a powerful human family and their union would bring much joy to the kingdom. Her beauty and charm so much beguiled the king that he fell madly in love and made her his queen.

 

Queen Kate though did not have such kind intentions, she had been raised to hate werewolves and her aim was to destroy the Hale dynasty so she seduced the king and slowly discovered his weaknesses. One day she lured the King away and attempted to burn down his castle and all those in it. She was found out and captured before she succeeded but at great cost to the kingdom and those within the castle. The royal family was decimated, leaving only Prince, now King Derek. Derek was so enraged at her betrayal that all the love he had for her turned to hate and in his madness he ripped out her throat with his teeth. That day the king’s heart grew cold and he no longer trusted others. He rebuilt his kingdom but kept others away and in retaliation for his betrayal at the hands of a powerful human clan, Derek demanded a human sacrifice every full moon. In a mockery of his former marriage he would spend the night before the full moon with the latest victim and on the next night rip out their throat in his wolf form.

 

The citizens grieved with King Derek but as time went on and his anger didn’t recede, the people of the Kingdom grew evermore fearful of the King’s wrath. His advisors tried to appeal on behalf of the humans but the King had grown wary of love. Finally one day a solution came from an unexpected place…

 

“This cannot go on, at this rate there will be no humans left in all of Beacon,” the King’s councilor John Stillinski muttered to himself as he entered his house.

 

John Stillinski was the chief councilor of King Derek’s court and his chief of justice as sheriff. His wife had long passed away but he lived with his son Genim “Stiles” and his adopted daughter Malia. While John and his son were human, Malia was a were-coyote. This had much improved Councilor Stillinski’s standing in court as a human who adopted a were and this admiration had kept him safe even after the tragedy of Kate.

 

“Perhaps I can help?” a voice offered from the stairwell

 

“Stiles, no I told you its too dangerous! If something happens to you who will take care of Malia?” John said.

 

“If we don’t do something even more people will get hurt. If I can help then I will do whatever it takes, ” Stiles said as he entered the room fully.

 

“You can’t ask me to send my only son to his death!” John cried

 

“I know dad but if my plan works it won’t come to that.”

 

“It’s a lot you ask of me to put my only son in danger all the hope of a crazy plan” John sighed “but if you are determined then I will offer you as the next moon’s sacrifice”

 

“Thank you, trust me dad it’ll all work out,” said Stiles as he came to give his father his a hug. “Now I just have to make sure everything is ready.”

 

Having secured his father’s compliance Stiles ran up to his room to tell his younger sister Malia.

 

At the next moon when the court convened to choose the next sacrifice John Stillinski stepped up to the throne to make his offer.

“My King, for this month’s offering I would like to give my own son Stiles”

Gasps were heard all throughout the court, even the King looked taken aback.

“Are you sure, John? I won’t show him mercy because he is your child,”

But the Sheriff wouldn’t back down. He insisted that Stiles be the next sacrifice as he had promised his son. So on the night before the full moon Derek and Stiles were wed with the promise of death the following eve.

 

Derek entered his chambers for the night and asked a maid to call his newly wed husband to him. Shortly after Stiles entered, coming in shyly dressed in a silk pajamas and a robe. As he came to sit down next to Derek, he looked so young and vibrant that Derek lost his breathe for moment wondering if it was really all right to take the life of this bright young man away. Derek had seen Stiles around court many times when he accompanied his father and their acquaintanceship had began long before he met Kate. Thinking of Kate however brought a storm cloud down on Derek’s mood and he remembered that Stiles was still human and humans couldn’t be trusted.

 

“My King may I ask a favor”

“What?” growled Derek as he came out of his rumination.

“I was only wondering if you would grant me one request” Stiles spoke hesitatingly as he looked up at Derek. Stiles had always thought Derek was very handsome and when they were both younger Derek had been very kind to Stiles whenever he came to court with his father. Sitting so close to him now he physically ached at the haunted look in Derek’s eyes. It was like his soul had closed itself off.

“I won’t spare your life, if that’s what you are going to say” Derek scowled as he glared at Stiles.

 

“Now hold on Sourwolf, I know exactly what I was getting into before I volunteered for this so I’m not going to be begging for my life.” Stiles shot back, irked that Derek thought him so craven.

 

“What did you call me?’ Derek growled as he flashed his red eyes towards Stiles

 

“Sourwolf, I rather think it fits with all the growling and the moping,” Stile responded blithely, as if he hadn’t just insulted the King to his face, “Anyway you wouldn’t deny a doomed man his whims would you?”

 

“Fine,” Derek bit out “What do you want?”

 

Stiles looked up at him shyly, “I wanted to see my younger sister Malia. Perhaps she could come here to see me?”

Derek remembered when the Sheriff had found a young were-coyote in the wild. He had been pleased when the Sheriff adopted her. While his hatred of humans had been aggravated due to Kate, he still had a soft spot for were-children and Malia would be just the same age as his sister would have been now. So he grudgingly allowed a maid to send for Malia.

 

Within the hour young Malia was brought to his chambers where she threw herself into Stiles’ arms and hugged him like she was never going to let go. And if the scene brought doubts to Derek’s mind well no one would ever know. Eventually they all settled down in Derek’s bed that was plenty big enough to accommodate all three of them and Malia was blinking to stay awake.

 

“Malia, I think it’s time for you to go to bed” Stiles told her gently

“No! If I go to bed then I won’t get to spend time with you anymore” Malia rebuffed almost on the edge of tears.

“ Sweet heart you have to sleep, you’re still a little girl and little girls need their sleep.”

‘No, no, no!” Malia pouted sneaking glares at Derek.

 

Derek shifted feeling uncomfortable. It was the first time he had been confronted with the family of his sacrifices. It occurred to him that after this he would have to see Sheriff Stillinski everyday, but his mind was made up, Stiles would have to die tomorrow.

 Stiles, sensing Derek’s discomfort cuddled Malia next to him and said “ How about if I tell you a story? Will you try to settle down then?”

 

“Ok,” Malia replied “But it better be a long story, the very best!”

 

“Oh it will be,” Stiles smiled.

 

Watching the interaction between siblings Derek decided he might as well settle down himself and listen to Stiles’ tale. It had been a long time since someone had told him a tale and he found himself thinking nostalgically of his family for the first time since the fire. Just being around these two brought back happy memories of his brothers and sisters without the usual bitter ache that accompanied them. He came back to the present and saw that Malia had been snuggly tucked into the bed, just in time for him to hear Stiles say

 

“Let me tell you a story…”

 

 


	2. The Wolf in the Forest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My twist on the tale of the djinn in the bottle. Deaton's a little OOC in this but hey its a fan fic, Stiles is the one telling the story, and Deaton was a young man. imagine the crypticism came with old age.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Again Teen Wolf belongs to Jeff Davis and Co. Arabian Nights (a misnomer as the tales are original Persian) has long become public property but some credit should go to Sir Richard Burton for the first English translation. 
> 
> In this chapter I've started the set up of the traditional 1001 nights during which Scheherazade tells a story within a story, etc. Of course Derek isn't naive enough to be swayed by a well told story so obviously there has to be some other way to keep his interest. The format from here on will be a story per chapter with Derek and Stiles at appropriate intervals. There may be some interludes showing just Stiles and/or Derek if that's what people want. 
> 
> This has not been beta-read  
> Thank you for all the comments and kudos, and so on with the story!

Along the kingdom of Beacon runs a forest, deep and dark. This forest, while dangerous, is also a source for many plants and ingredients used by many different beings. Magic wielders especially make much use of the forest, never daring to stray too far in though lest they tempt fate.

 

One day a druid, a new comer to Beacon, wandered by the forest in search of herbs for his remedies. Deaton, for that was his name, was a young but powerful druid who had come to Beacon to seek his fortune along with his sister.

 

_‘Deaton,’_ thought Derek, _‘isn’t that the name of the royal emissary? He is quite an old man though.’_

 

Perhaps not knowing any better, Deaton went deeper into the forest than he intended to, unaware of the dangers there. In the deep reaches of the forest, sunlight barely penetrated the thick cover of trees and the shadows covered Deaton’s tracks well. Eventually however, the druid rested, satisfied with his work for the day and ready to return home. It was at this juncture that he realized he had lost his way. Hopelessly turned around from wandering in the forest and unable to see the border, the druid was at a loss as what to do. Evening was fast approaching and forest was particularly dangerous at night. Choosing the path that looked the most lighted, Deaton walked ahead as night began to fall. The sounds of the forest blended into a natural symphony but a sudden disturbance caused Deaton to pause.

 

“…lp,  …e”

 

Struck by the oddity of the sound, Deaton walked in that direction until he clearly heard a human voice say, “Help me! Is anybody there?”

 

Hurrying now Deaton walked further until he came upon a clearing with a large black tree stump in the middle. Around the tree there was a dark border creating a ring around its roots. Inside the ring was a disheveled and bedraggled man. He seemed to be in great pain as he was kneeling on the ground crying out for help in a raspy, parched voice.  Deaton ran towards him, stopping though at the boundary as it emitted a dark, binding aura. Deaton had not been studying long since he was quite young but he was talented and he could feel the power in the barrier.

 

“What happened? Are you alright”, he asked.

 

“Finally, I have been here for days, trapped behind this accursed barrier. A witch trapped me and left me here to die.” The man rasped

 

“A witch? I had thought that the royal family of Beacon protected the land against the influence of darker magic creatures.” Deaton said, confused about the situation.

 

“And they do but sometimes the darkness finds a way in.” The man replied, “ You have finally found me though so now you can free me.”

 

“ I do not know how. But I can go to the castle and get some help.”

 

“No! I don’t know if you can find your way back here. I may not survive much longer, just break the barrier,” the man protested.

 

Indeed, the man’s body had started shaking uncontrollably. He seemed to be having problems keeping himself upright as massive shudders passed through his frame. But, what sort of barrier was this that could keep a man imprisoned but could just as easily be broken from the outside?

 

“Is that possible,” Deaton asked aloud, “that the barrier could so easily be demolished by me.”

 

“I heard the witch as she was imprisoning me. I know something about this magic, it just needs belief to trap but can be broken if the boundary is not intact. Just smudge it a little and it will break. Hurry!” the man gasped as paroxysms shot through his body, a grimace twisting his mouth, until it was hidden from view forming more of a smirk

 

Deaton hurriedly knelt down, hesitatingly touching the barrier all the while tentatively feeling out with his magic to ensure that no backlash would harm him.

Behind him a large amber moon rose in the sky.

 

‘ _That’s strange’_ thought Deaton _‘ this feels like some sort of sawdust, its too dark though more like ash…’_

A large paw struck him back and he flew through the air, crashing into a near by tree. In front of him, a large, half shifted werewolf stepped out from the broken circle triumph shinning in its blue eyes.

 

“Thank you for saving me boy,” it growled condescendingly “I will reward you with a quick death.”

 

Deaton quickly scrambled to his feet. “You can’t do this,” he cried “it’s against the rules of the Kingdom.”

 

“Foolish human, those rules exist to keep peace but I am seeking revenge. I was wronged by a druid and you shall pay the price. For days I was trapped in that binding. At first I promised that I would reward my rescuer with fame and fortune but as the days grew longer my hate intensified. My kind protects this kingdom but none of your kind can even bother to lend a helping hand. Many times I smelled wanderers in the forest, but none came to my aid even though I cried loudly for help. For the cold-heartedness of your kind you shall suffer. As it is I have not eaten in nearly a month.”

 

Saying that the werewolf lunged at him, claws nicking his arm as Deaton hid behind the tree.

 

“How is that fair, why should you kill your rescuer,” Deaton protested as he tried to think of a way out of this situation. Running was no good; the wolf could outrun him in a heartbeat. Besides he didn’t even know where he was, let alone the way out. Hiding behind trees wouldn’t last forever either though as the wolf was quite strong.

 

The clearing didn’t offer many things to hide behind but at least he could track the wolf’s movements. If he strayed too far into the trees the wolf would have the advantage of surprise. Climbing a tree was out of the question; the wolf would get him before he could even attempt it. He had nothing with him to fend of a werewolf not even a match to make a fire.

 

“While ‘don’t shoot the messenger’ is an admirable philosophy, the reason the saying exists is because it is a natural reaction.” The wolf smirked in his direction.

 

Well that was a surprise. This was the first time Deaton had been chased by an intellectual werewolf. Granted he hadn’t been chased by werewolves before, but in his training he had heard there were ways to subdue the supernatural such as aconite, mistletoe, or…

 

‘ _The ash’_ thought Deaton, ‘ _I’ve got to get to the ash.’_

 

Taking a deep breath, Deaton ran across the clearing towards the stump in the middle of the circle. Luckily all the adrenaline kept the werewolf from guessing he had a plan. It merely looked like a desperate attempt to escape. The wolf lunged at him, knocking him down just as Deaton reached the area he had disrupted as claws gouged into his leg, Deaton ignored the pain, letting out only an involuntary cry quickly scooping together the little area he had brushed to make a perfect circle once more. The werewolf luckily hadn’t disrupted any more spots having leapt over the boundary as soon as it was broken in his haste to hunt his prey.

 

The werewolf seemed to be enjoying toying with his prey, as he didn’t immediately go for a killing strike. He instead viciously ripped out his claws, licking the blood that ran off them while looking down at the boy. The golden moon that shone behind him lit up the scene causing an almost paralyzing fear. The wolf’s movement caused Deaton to regain his senses as he quickly grabbed some dirt with his other hand. When the wolf reached down to bite, Deaton threw the dirt in its eyes. The wolf let out a pained howl as it staggered back and Deaton crawled off to the side away from the ash so as not to disrupt it once more.

 

Getting up despite the pain in his leg Deaton scrambled around to the other side of the circle and tripping up just near the tree stump’s edge. It would do little to protect him but he was on the other side of it from the werewolf and he could easily disrupt the barrier a little and put it back together.

 

“You little…” he heard the werewolf growl, before a roar of rage was unleashed. “What good did that do puny human? My eyes will heal quickly and even if they do not I can still smell you. All you have done is guarantee yourself a painful demise.”

 

‘ _Hmm… intellectual and prone to dramatics. The quickest way to get his attention seems to be his ego,’_ thought Deaton, ‘ _well here goes nothing.’_

“I was just defending myself from a crazed wolf. I am not the one fool enough to attack my savior, nor to underestimate my opponent. Perhaps this is what separates man from beast.”

 

The wolf roared in anger, head swiveling around to face Deaton, eyes shining bright blue like lightning in the dark. With a mighty snarl the wolf leapt straight across the barrier onto the tree stump, a hand’s width from Deaton’s face. His face twisted in fury, he struck out with his claws straight for Deaton’s neck… and was rebuffed.

 

“What kind of trickery is this?” the wolf sneered, “what have you done you whelp?”

 

“I believe Mr. Wolf that you have simply landed yourself back in your original cage.” Deaton grinned, his heartbeat pounding from fear and relief. “And now I shall take my leave, not to be deceived by a stranger in need again.”

 

The wolf howled in rage as Deaton picked himself up taking off his over shirt to wrap around his wounded leg. He was covered in cuts and scratches but his leg was the worst. He didn’t exactly know how he was going to make it home through the forest, but anything was better than staying here with a crazed werewolf.

 

_‘I hope,’_ came the unbidden thought as he looked out into the dark forest.

 

“Wait…”

 

Deaton turned around to face the wolf with an incredulous look. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Because it makes perfect sense to wait around with the werewolf that was going to murder me than to go home and be safe.”

 

“Ah, but you don’t know the way home,” the wolf smirked, “If you let me out though, I’ll be glad to guide you home.”

 

“Of course you would,” Deaton snarked back, “Sorry, but I make it a point only to fall for a trick once.”

 

“Well I had to try, but I did genuinely mean it. You’re right, I underestimated you. I didn’t think you were anything more than a fledgling druid, but now I see that you’ve got potential. I won’t do it again. I try to respect those who prove themselves worthy.” The wolf almost purred out those lines

 

“That isn’t reassuring at all. In fact it sounded a lot like manipulative double talk to me. If I didn’t trust you before, I trust you even less now.”

 

The wolf barked out a laugh. “You certainly are quite clever. Yes, you do have a lot of potential. And you seem so different from other druids that I’ve met. Nonetheless your bluff doesn’t fool me. You are utterly lost and if you think wandering into the forest in the middle of the night is a good idea, you’re more foolish than I thought.”

 

Deaton gave the wolf a dry look. Unfortunately him didn’t seem to affect it at all other making him give an amused smile. The wolf continued “the only reason you haven’t been attacked yet is because this area is protected…well mostly”, he amended seeing Deaton’s stare.

 

“Why don’t you get yourself comfortable, I’m not going anywhere and it seems neither are you. Not in the middle of the night with that wound. After all you can’t be much safer than with the biggest predator in these woods.”

 

“What a reassuring offer,” Deaton commented, unsure though as the werewolf was making a lot of sense.

 

“In fact let’s just rest the night and tomorrow you can let me out and I’ll lead you home,” the wolf went on, ignoring Deaton’s tone.

 

At this though Deaton exclaimed, “There is absolutely no way I would trust that. You’re mad, probably since you tried to eat me…”

 

“I admit it was not the best course of action but I was angry and hungry, on the night of the full moon. For a werewolf that’s not the best situation.”

 

“Ha,” Deaton scoffed, “Queen Talia is a great proponent of control in werewolves. She advocates that weres are not beasts but people with advanced instinct.”

 

For some reason this seemed to amuse the wolf even more. “Indeed but not all of us are up to the Alpha queen’s exulted standard, just as not all men compare It was at the hands of a wicked druid that I ended up here you know, and you protested at me comparing the two of you.”

 

“Still a wicked druid will always be wicked, you cannot expect me to believe you have changed overnight.”

 

“I assure you werewolves are wont to do exactly so at least once a month,” the wolf retorted.

 

Deaton smiled in spite of himself, “Well, all right wolf, tell me what is so different about you that justifies your behavior.”

 

The wolf smiled. “First settle down. I cannot cross this boundary so you need not fear me. It can’t be good for you to stand on that leg. Sit down and I will tell you my story and if it pleases you then release me for I have only committed this crime in anger. After hearing my story of treacherous villainy surely you will come to believe me defensible if not justified.”

 

Deaton approached the wolf warily but he reasoned that the wolf was indeed right, it would do him no good to wander the woods hurt and lost. He settled down a decent ways away from the wolf, with his back to a tree. Spreading his legs to find a comfortable position, he looked towards the wolf, curiosity awaked at such eloquence.

 

“Then wolf, tell me your story and we shall see if I find you earnest or not.”

 

The wolf smirked again, though not in an unkindly manner. “As you wish. First of all, my name is not wolf it’s Peter. I a…

 

*   *   *   *   *

Derek had been listening, entranced, in spite of himself, at this tale the young man had woven. Disgruntled though he was at the description of a deceitful werewolf, he had heard of many rogues in the history books. Before and during his mother’s reign there had been many inter-pack conflicts and omegas still caused problems near the border. But at this final insult, he could not control himself. He lunged at the young man in his bed, grasping him by the neck.

 

“How dare you, you worthless human,” he roared, “how dare you insult my family thusly? My uncle is an honorable man. Even now he fights for his life as he recovers from the damage done by Kate and her human lackeys. And yet you demean his character before the king? I should rip your throat out now…with my teeth.” Derek’s eyes flashed red showing his recently gained alpha power.

 

“H..d o…” Stiles tried to say, heartbeat wild and out of control.

“I….. mea….. n….,” he choked out.

 

Derek continued to hold him there trying to suppress his instinctual response. His fangs were out and extended but he had managed to control his shift. If nothing else the betrayal had prompted him to gain a tight control of his emotions and therefore shift.

 

Out of the corner of his eye he noticed a movement and saw Stiles’ sister, Malia, making whimpering noises, terror shining clear in her eyes. It was this more than anything else that prompted him to release some control on Stiles, though he still held him by the neck, grip considerable loosened.

 

“Explain,” Derek bit out, teeth gritted in concentration.

 

Stiles took some deep breathes in, trying to get his heartbeat under control. The same unfortunately could not be said for his sarcasm.

 

“Yeah, yeah, I was going to until someone decided to choke me. I thought my execution wasn’t until tomorrow my king. Besides oxygen is essential to the process of forming words, something one needs to do in order to explain.”

 

“Now,” Derek snarled.

 

“Ok, ok, no need to be such a sourwolf. As I was saying, this story was told to me by Deaton, the Hale pack emissary. It was also substantiated by Prince Peter. We were acquainted before the tragedy…” Stiles trailed of unsure how to proceed, “… I did not mean any offense, I… valued him dearly. He was one of the only adults who did not scorn me for my overactive personality. Nonetheless, knowing your uncle as I do, I can imagine that this story did occur much the way I told it. If you do not believe me check with Deaton, it is just past dawn anyway. No matter the result I will die shortly but do not mistake my authenticity for disrespect. I admire both Deaton and Prince Peter but this was the story told to me and I shall remain true to it.”

 

Derek was taken aback by the sincerity in Stiles’ voice. The young man honestly looked contrite at the way his story had been misconstrued and when he spoke of Peter’s condition he seemed genuinely distraught. But Derek had been fooled once before by a superb actress and he was not going to be fooled again. No matter how sincere this young man seemed, was still human and therefore untrustworthy. What did humans know of kinship, they felt no pack bonds, they were free agents left to their own avarices.

 

“You better pray you are telling the truth or your execution will be even more painful than usual,” Derek spat as he walk away towards the door. “Do not even attempt to leave these chambers, your sister will be escorted back to her home. I will see you tonight after I have confirmed some things”

 

Derek walked away leaving Stiles and Malia in his room. He did not see Malia rush towards her brother. Nor did he see Stiles collapse from relief, albeit with a small smile of satisfaction on his face. Derek’s mind was too full of questions to contend with such things, his thoughts all askew.

 

‘ _Was Stiles telling the truth? Why didn’t he know this history? How did Stiles know Peter…and Deaton for that matter? Why had no one told him? And, with great reluctance…what happened next?’_


	3. The Truth Behind the Tale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek talks to Deaton about the story stiles told him and makes a decision

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to get started on the next story, but for some reason Derek really wanted to develop in this chapter. Apparently setting the scene takes a lot of time and effort so the next chapter will have the next story.
> 
> Enjoy!

Emissary Deaton was greeted by a very agitated King Derek when he made his way to his office that morning. Considering that the King had been in a horrible mood since the fire, Deaton was quite wary in answering him.

 

“How can help you, Your Majesty?” said Deaton.

 

“The boy, yesterday’s tribute…” the King started but hesitated to continue.

 

“Stiles?” said Deaton “has he done something?” privately hoping nothing was wrong with the boy, though he could be a nuisance at times, he didn’t deserve death, especially not a painful one.

 

The King paused, picking his words carefully as if he needed a great amount of equanimity to correctly explain the situation.

 

“He asked to be able to tell a story to his sister. I granted the request seeing nothing wrong with making the child happy before her brother’s punishment. I was present, of course, as I needed to ensure he wouldn’t try to escape. However… the story he told was too far-fetched, it may be conceivable but to slander the royal family is unacceptable…”

 

Derek was far too worked up; he paused again to recollect his thought.

 

“He claimed to tell a story about you meeting my uncle, Peter for the first time, but he portrayed Peter as a vicious and mad wolf who attacked you, I cannot let him get away with this type of libel you understand, but he insisted I check with you, claiming you could purport his tale. Of all the ridiculous…” Derek broke looking at the chagrinned expression on Deaton’s face.

 

“You can’t mean…”

 

“I’m afraid that what he said isn’t entirely untrue Your Majesty,” Deaton started, “Now don’t misunderstand. Prince Peter was… is… a good man but at the time of our meeting extenuating circumstances had made his grasp on his control weaker than it should have been. Also there were other factors preying on his mind in regards to magic users…”

 

“The boy… he mentioned a trap and a wicked druid…” Derek spoke, almost incredulous of his own words.

 

“Stiles… how that boy gets so much information is beyond me. Yes there was an evil magic user, a darach, that had imprisoned your uncle. It was a while ago and we did have quite a rocky start.” Deaton spoke quite fondly, clearly amused by Stiles and Peter in retrospect.

 

“He said you trapped him again and he told you a story. What happened in that tale? What happened to the darach?” Derek demanded.

 

“Well the story he told me was quite long and had to do with other lands you see there were a great many things going on at the time. They were quite important to shaping the political climate of the nearby areas at the time as well as leading to my own involvement with the Hale Pack and Kingdom. I remember the basics of the story he told me but its quite complicated and I am not sure that I would be able to order the events correctly. A lot of it was history and references I didn’t understand at the time. I was but a young druid about to start my practice. The references Peter made involved many things I had not focused my studies on and people I didn’t know. I never bothered to look them up either as I was later involved in my emissary training. I suppose I could explain the gist of the story…” Deaton said.

 

He sounded quite apologetic but overall uninterested in Derek’s problem, after all he had heard the tale once and not been too concerned with it. The outcome was favorable, but the context was a little too complicated and involved too may personal details. The mark of a good Emissary was the ability to stay detached so Deaton hadn’t cared too much about the personal lives of the people mentioned in Peter’s story. Stiles on the other hand…

 

“Is there any place where this is written down? And if not why not? This is important to the kingdom, it depicts an attack on the royal family!” Derek was getting angrier as he spoke. Why hadn’t he heard about this, in fact who was this boy to know this story, when Derek, the King, didn’t know.

 

“I do not mean to offend you Your Majesty, but I imagine that it was quite a sore point in the Kingdom’s history and your uncle’s pride. As of yet no one has started writing about Lady Kate’s arson attempt either…”

 

Deaton was cut off by a snarl and a hand at his throat.

 

“That is unnecessary Emissary. You’re job is to represent the Hales and to advise us, do not overstep your bounds.”

 

“I meant no disrespect my king,” Deaton choked out, sighing when Derek released him. “Perhaps it would be more appropriate to say that these were personal stories not meant to be written as dry histories. No one would have detailed them out to a historian to be officialized and taught in school.”

 

Derek, now in control of his anger but still dissatisfied, rumbled at the logic behind the man’s words. “Then why does this… this boy know them?”

 

“I imagine it would be because Stiles is Stiles. The boy has a passion for research, as well as a need to know everything. He was also acquainted with your uncle. I wouldn’t call them friends by any means but they had a familiar banter that worked for them. I imagine he also knows some of the people in the story that Peter told me. “

 

“He’s just a boy, younger than me. Why does he know something I don’t know? Why didn’t Uncle Peter tell me?” Derek muttered, mostly to himself.

 

“I suppose you would have to ask them that yourself. But I wouldn’t be too concerned my King. After all you have been busy with royal duties and… that is to say even before… “ Deaton broke off unsure how to reference Kate.

 

Fortunately Derek was too caught up with his newfound knowledge to care about Deaton’s faux pas. He walked away, leaving the emissary bemused at the king’s behavior.

*   *   *   *   *

 

 

Derek wanted to find Stiles immediately and ask him about his story, but a king has many tasks and Derek couldn’t find any time to see Stiles all morning. His advisors were no help in the matter as many of them kept bringing the boy up to discuss his execution at moonrise.

_‘That boy is infuriating, first he maligns my uncle and then he somehow holds this secret information that is rightfully mine. Why won’t they stop talking about him?’_ thought Derek, though he did feel a twinge of regret as he looked at the sheriff.

*   *   *   *   *

After court, Derek tore off to his chambers to find Stiles. His monthly sacrifices were normally sealed in his chambers all day until their execution. He found Stiles lounging on a window seat looking at some of the books Derek kept in his quarters. He lunged towards Stiles, dragging him up until he was standing facing Derek.

 

“Tell me what happens at the end of the story.”

 

Stiles looked confused for a minute, “huh… oh well um its kinda complicated… I mean I don’t understand which story you mean?”

 

“The story you told last night, what happens,” Derek growled, losing what little patience he had.

 

“Was there a question mark at the end of that sentence? So rude, even if you are a king…” Stiles was cut off by a warning rumble, “well I guess the end of the story is true love.”

 

Now Derek just looked confused, “but my uncle has never married. He wasn’t even planning on it.”

 

“Pe.. Prince Peter? Oh no I didn’t mean that, the end of his story is completely different but it is connected to another and eventually the end of my story is true love.” Stiles responded.

 

“What are you talking about? Are you trying to die, because this is a good way to go about it. I want to know what happened to Peter.” Derek was beyond frustrated at this point.

 

“I’m going to die anyway,” muttered Stiles before he cleared his throat, “Well like I said it’s complicated. See it involves Pe… Prince Peter and some of the royal family as well as the Argent family and some others you may or may not know. It took me a long time to gather all of that information. You’re lucky I know people.”

 

“Arrgh,” Derek snarled, “What you mean to tell me is that this is going to take some time. And what the hell do the Argents have to do with this? Can’t you just tell me what’s important?”

 

“No,” said Stiles stubbornly, “It’s a story not a laundry list, anyway, in my mind it’s all important. Its not some sort of’ this-is-the-thing-and-that’s-how-you-kill-it’ monster report.”

 

Derek took a deep breath, trying to remember why he couldn’t just kill the boy. “Fine,” he said, gritting his teeth, “You will tell me this story and until you do you will be spared but the moment I think you are trying to deceive me, I will kill you in the most painful manner possible.”

 

“Well…”

 

“What. I am giving you a chance to live, what could possibly be bothering you?” Derek shouted. He was done being played by this foolish, stubborn boy. ‘ _A foolish stubborn boy who unfortunately knows something you don’t’_ he thought

 

“I volunteered to be the sacrifice this month. It would be unfair if someone had to die just because you changed your mind about killing me. I mean I did volunteer and it could be seen as favoritism and all I don’t want my dad to get in trouble or anything…not that it would be and of course it’s your choice you’re the King, but its still awfully unfair, I mean I volunteered so no else would have to this month and… ” Stiles was rambling now.

 

‘ _Oh, actually, that’s quite a noble thought, still what is with all the rambling? I can’t believe this is the same kid that told such an eloquent story last night’_ “Fine just stop. Look, one month won’t make a difference. You can die next month. I hardly imagine your story will take a month. Anyway ripping out somebody else’s throat just wouldn’t be as satisfying in comparison to yours.” Derek said.

 

Stiles looked offended for a minute but then smiled, a rather handsome smile, Derek noted but reprimanded himself for in the next second. The boy was just strange nothing more, nothing less. Strange and he had something Derek wanted, which was the only reason this exception was being made.

 

“Thanks sourwolf, you’re not so bad after all,” Stiles smiled.

 

Derek growled but released him. Turning on his heel, he left as abruptly as he had come in.

*   *   *   *   *

 

“The boy will not be sacrificed tonight, nor will any other for that matter,” Derek said curtly as he strode back into the audience chamber.

 

The entire room was shocked. Most of the courtiers were at a loss for words, not exactly sure how to deal with this information. On the one hand there would be no victim, on the other, the king did not seem happy. The sheriff also seemed taken aback, but relief soon flooded his face.

 

“Your Majesty,” one of the courtiers tried, “To what do we owe this…change?”

 

“That is none of your concern,” Derek snarled, “This court is here to present their concerns and advise, however, the final decision has always been the royal family’s. It is not your right to question me. Just know that tonight there is no tribute, his judgment has simply been postponed to next month.” The topic was dropped and Derek finally had some small reprieve from thoughts of the boy for the first time that day.

*   *   *   *   *

 

At night, after dinner he made his way back to his chambers but only briefly. It was the night of the full moon so he would not sleep tonight.

“Your story will have to be continued tomorrow, tonight there is a full moon and I will be gone longer than usual.” Derek said in lieu of a greeting as he entered his chambers.

 

“Well hello to you too,” Stiles snorted. His face then took on a more understanding demeanor though. “I appreciate that you informed me Your Majesty. It must be difficult… especially since the wolf must have gotten used to blood lust on full moon nights.” Stiles stopped abruptly

 

A heavy silence dampened the room as Stiles tried to recant what he had said. Derek, upset though he was at the reference to his recent proclivities, was equally impressed at this boy’s, this human’s understanding of Weres. Kate had never considered what it was like to be a werewolf. Of course now he knew that was due to her hatred but even before she was distant, likening it to being an animal instead of appreciating or at least understanding what it was like to be caught in between reason and instinct. _‘I was too besotted to notice though’_ he thought ruefully.

 

“My King, I… I didn’t mean to upset…” Stiles tired, “Just I know it happens… even Malia is more… you know.” He didn’t really know how to express his feeling without further damaging the situation.

 

“Your Majesty, My King… it’s nice to know you have some manners, even though you clearly lack self preservation skills. It’s a wonder that the first time your life has been threatened was when you willing volunteered for it.” Derek said, smirking despite himself.

 

Stiles grinned back, a little shakily, “Yes, you’re not the first person to say so. I do know the proper address for a king, but sourwolf seems to fit you so much better.”

 

Derek growled at that but there was no real vehemence in his tone. “Stay here, I will have to lock you, just in case. It is partially for your safety after all. You will continue your tale tomorrow. Don’t do anything stupid.”

 

Stiles looked affronted for a moment before he winked. “You’re wish is my command sourwolf. I’m going to go to bed, had a late night last night and since I thought I was going to die tonight, there was no point in sleeping during the day. Now, you go have a howling good time,” Stiles said before he practically sauntered away from an astonished werewolf.

 

Derek stared at him, not believing anybody would be foolish enough to make such a pathetic pun but eventual decided that growling at the boy was pointless. He left, locking the room behind him, a small smile on his face. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to clarify that Derek is a King so when I say his chambers I mean a whole set of rooms. Probably a living room, office/ study, bedroom, bathroom, etc. So while Stiles is locked in Derek's chambers he is not stuck in a room. Also I imagine that Derek didn't sleep with anybody other than Kate, there are other places to sleep. Stiles and Malia were with him in his bed the first night but thats because that was a place Derek could keep an eye on them, after all he was planning to sleep after hearing a short story.


	4. What Morning Brings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek realizes some things and is confused a lot. Also some background and reasoning behind Derek's actions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I really really did mean to get to my next story and I will in the next chapter but again (apparently) there needed to be some character growth. In a way that's good because really Derek can't just fall in love that easily, he need to change a little. But for those of you (myself included) who wanted to get to the next story well its a little frustrating. My characters tend to have a mind of their own though and do what they need to do to continue their story.
> 
> Next week, there will be another story, I promise its all set up. Enjoy!

In the early hours of the morning, Derek crept quietly back into his chambers, his face drawn and haggard. While it had been somewhat satisfying to run unhindered through the forest, checking his territory, the lack of an execution was taking its toll. For the first time in a while Derek was conflicted between man and wolf. After Kate’s betrayal Derek had been mad with grief. He wasn’t able to capture Kate herself as she had fled to another kingdom. He searched far and wide to bring her to justice, but she had remained hidden for a long time. However she had extended no such protection to her accomplices, and Derek and his guards had managed to capture some of the men who helped her destroy the royal family. Some of them were hunters, a group that held an allegiance with the Hales to protect the defenseless and attack only the irredeemable. Kate had had ties with hunters, he knew that when he married her. Naively he had thought that they could protect the kingdom together. As if that weren’t enough, some ordinary humans, citizens of the kingdom had helped Kate. Whether out of malice or ignorance, none had thought to question or stop her crimes. These were the people his family had protected and then they betrayed him like this.

 

The wolf in Derek had stopped trusting people after this and Derek the man had as well. To compensate for the loss of his family he demanded a sacrifice and the first victims, those who had helped in the fire were justified. As time went on however, Kate’s whereabouts remained a mystery and Derek lost all faith in humanity. He was searching and asking for aid from other kingdoms to find Kate but they were of no help. It was not possible for a figure as famous as Kate, whose plan had been interrupted, to disappear unprepared. She must have help from the outside. In his mind if the human kingdoms weren’t going to help them then they were the enemy. Unable to release his fury on the true target of his ire, Derek had attacked everything that Kate stood for: beauty, treachery, humanity…. He was eventually able to find Kate, when she foolhardily snuck back into the kingdom to “finish her deeds.” He had wasted no time in savaging her throat, a brutal death that most felt he was justified in taking. The damage had been done however and could not as easily be undone.

 

The law became stricter, death penalties for infractions that otherwise would be dealt with through incarceration, the death penalty for those involved in the Hale conspiracy, and when there were none left to kill, the monthly sacrifice system to target other such would-be traitors. The wolf had been lost to blood lust. All the members of his family, save one, were dead. He did have his uncle, but the man was severely injured and the healers were not sure if he would even survive, let alone wake. Without his pack, the lone, newly made Alpha had no guide to help him adjust to his state. While he had maintained enough sanity to control his kingdom, the trust between his council, all human including his emissary, was shattered. He had never trained to be Alpha either, that role belonging to his elder sister, so he had been overwhelmed with the instincts and senses that came with the alpha mantle.

 

This morning though he was seeing more clearly than he had since the fire. Last night he had been ravaged by a fierce blood lust, he had wanted to kill desperately, a habit acquired from the aftermath of Kate’s betrayal. But in the pale light of dawn he was slightly horrified at the thoughts he had entertained while in wolf form. It felt like he had developed an addiction to killing, how could he protect his kingdom if he was a threat?

 

Walking into his chambers he could smell the musty smell of books, remnants of the night that he brought with him, and a slightly spicy smell, like ginger and clove, that he realized had come to signify Stiles. ‘ _Everything about that boy is fiery, it’s no surprise that his scent is too’_ he thought ruefully. Part of him was worried that he could identify the boy’s scent after only two days together. A much smaller part, one he was desperately trying to tamp down, thought that it felt rather nice to have the mingling of scents back in his den. When his family had been alive, his sisters, parents and relatives would come in and out of his rooms. Now the only scent that filled the royal wing was his. Kate’s betrayal had led to a fire that destroyed his life. Stiles was not dissimilar. His actions, they way he had stood up to him, despite his fear, his words, the story that was shocking him, they were like a fire in Derek’s mind, destroying a lot of things he thought he knew, not just about his family but also about himself. He had always tried to be a good person; it was practically the duty of a Prince. He had also thought that he was justified in his vengeance, but now he wasn’t so sure. It remained to be seen however whether the fire that was Stiles would become a release to provide more fertile growth, or burn everything down to the ground. Derek was not ready to face any more truths about himself just yet.

 

*   *   *   *   *

For the next week or so Derek avoided Stiles like the plague. He threw himself into the affairs of the kingdom and in the process learned that a lot of things hadn’t been progressing all that well. While the fire had affected him personally, it had also affected the kingdom and Derek’s management had been like a bandage on the wound, keeping it from getting worse but not really making it better. He woke early in the morning and worked late into the night. When he was in his chambers he holed himself up in his study. It was easy to pretend that he wasn’t actually avoiding Stiles, just, there was work to be done and he couldn’t forsake his kingdom to tend to a human. After all he was a king, he had responsibilities. Anyway, Stiles should be grateful that his punishment was being deferred.

 

That theory went out the window when he came back one night to find Stiles waiting for him in front of the door.

 

“Where have you been? You have been avoiding me for days and that is not okay. We had a deal, “Stiles said as soon as Derek came in.

 

Derek’s eyebrows rose. “The deal was not to kill you until you finished the story. I haven’t killed you. Now get. Out. Of. My. Way.”

 

“Exactly, you’ve been avoiding me so there is no way I can finish my story. And in that time, who knows you might decide it wasn’t worth it and then pick someone else to kill. Plus I’m stuck in here; I have no idea what is actually happening. You are literally my only contact to the outside world. You might be the king, but it is not ok to mess around with the poor human. I mean even if you are going to kill me you said it wouldn’t be painful. And leaving me in here not knowing anything, that should fall under the definition of painful, not to mention cruel and unusual, and all sorts of other things that aren’t allowed by law. I should know my father is the chief of justice….”

 

Throughout Stiles’ rant Derek’s scowl had been growing but he was privately just a little bit amused at the tangents the boy seemed to go off on. Mostly though he was annoyed and he wished Stiles would just shut up for one minute. So taking matters into his own hands he slammed Stiles into the wall next to him. Stiles’ heart rate shot up but he still managed to glare back at Derek.

 

“Will you please be quiet so I can answer you?” Derek growled. “First of all, you are right I am the king and it is not your right to question me. Secondly there were other things to deal with…”

 

“Well, yeah I get that but that’s what you do all day, there is no reason to come back so late and leave so early. I know you’ve been avoiding me. It wasn’t like that the day I arrived here, in fact its never really been this way, I would know, I’ve seen a king conduct court before. I‘ve only lived here my whole life,” Stiles retorted.

 

“Well things are different right now, “Derek snarled back, “do you have no self-preservation skills? Why would talk back to an angry werewolf?”

 

“I would have thought my stance on self-preservation skills was clear when I volunteered to have my throat ripped out.” Stiles deadpanned

 

There was an awkward silence as Derek recalled exactly why Stiles was here and their deal. Finally he sighed, “I understand you are worried, things have been busy however. You have to know that I was never trained to be king so it is hard for me to manage everything.”

 

“You took the time out before each month,” Stiles persisted, thought less aggressively.

 

“Yes, but that was only for one night. You are the only one to last any longer” Derek said and if he felt a twinge of guilt at that admission he quickly remembered all the people who had helped Kate destroy his family.

 

Stiles had gone silent at the reminder that he should have died yesterday. But Derek could see that he was again getting the courage to speak. Sighing internally at the boy who just couldn’t seem to leave things alone he got ready for another heated exchange. When Stiles did speak however it was soft.

 

“I am sorry that you had that responsibility thrust onto you. The fact that you are trying to address your shortcomings is comforting however, and shows that you will be a good king.”

 

Derek was a little floored at the admission, especially coming from a victim of his reign. ‘ _Since when have I started thinking of them as victims?’_

 

Stiles continued, “I haven’t been able to contact anyone, and I understand why but the situation is very unusual and my sister was here that night…I would appreciate it if I could reassure her of my well-being, and for what it’s worth I do want you to hear the rest of the story, it is part of your heritage and I think your uncle would have told you himself if …” Stiles trailed off, not sure how to indicate Peter’s condition.

 

Derek made an odd choked sound, feeling guilt for his role in Peter’s misfortune. “How did you know my Uncle?”

 

“We were friends, of a fashion. He knew my father, of course; he was one of the Queen’s advisors and as such communicated with my father a lot. We struck up an acquaintanceship. He also was very fond of Malia and would entertain us when he had the chance. I think, later in life, he genuinely liked spending some time with children and his nieces and nephew were too grown at the time. He went through his own experiences and I think he, more than anyone else, would understand what you are going through right now,” Stiles explained.

“You told that story on purpose. What are you trying to do?” Derek growled, growing suspicious again. It seemed that all humans were out to trick him.

 

Stiles held up his hands, “I don’t mean you any harm. I did tell that story for a reason but it wasn’t really for you, it was partly for Malia. She knew Peter but was too young to hear that story when he told it to me. I figured somebody should know. But I am glad you did hear it because you should know, it is partially about your family. It is connected to a lot of other people though, people who are important to me so part of me was simply honoring them on what I assumed to be my last night.”

 

Derek was confused again. Stiles was telling the truth but he was being deliberately careful with his words. He couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something else to this whole thing. Maybe he was being paranoid. Hadn’t he seen this week what his angst had done to the kingdom, his parents’ legacy? But there was something off about Stiles. He didn’t know what but he would find out. He would watch him carefully. He couldn’t exactly trust him but he didn’t seem to be an immediate threat. He would listen to this story, if for no other reason than to satisfy his own curiosity.

 

“Tomorrow night, you can invite your sister again and continue from where you left off.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been reading LOTR and hobbit fics recently so I feel like hunters came across like Tolkien's rangers :P sorry about that. Concrit is always welcome!

**Author's Note:**

> Constructive criticism is always welcome!


End file.
